11 replies to this topic

[wisewords]

Has this happened to anyone else?Under warranty Ford fiesta- spark plug blew leading to a bill of over 3 grand- Engine Found No4 bore damaged, requires new short engine block. Replaced engine short block, replaced all relevant gaskets, nuts/bolts etc.’ Ford say not coverered because engine fault caused by spark plug which is only covered for one year

[Stoney871]

!Removed!!
The metal on a head should be much stronger than on a plug thread.
Unless the plug can be proved to have been cross threaded or defective then it's on them.
Do not back down!
They're trying to do a slippery one on you.
No way a blown plug should do that much damage, that's more of a symptom than a cause.

[eyemdee]

I agree. I would want to see cast iron proof that a spark plug caused the engine damage and not faulty assembly/manufacture. My first course of action would be to ask Honest John (http://www.honestjohn.co.uk), the Daily Telegraph motoring correspondent, for advice before trying Trading Standards, Watchdog, etc to see if they will pursue Ford on your behalf if you cannot get satisfaction at dealer level. I do not believe that they can ever be sure whether the spark plug itself was the absolute cause of the damage.

[Stoney871]

Working it through in my head and re-reading what you posted, I'd say that the damage definitely caused the plug to blow.
Were the values damaged too?
I'd reckon over pressure on the exhaust stroke so likely fault would be jammed outlet valves, timing belt, push rods or something in the rocker cover area.

[wisewords]

thanks for your support. The reason for the post was twofold- one to see if it had occurred to others and two to gather more information about possible faults. I argued the 'how do you know it was the spark plugs' (answer that is what we believe) but it was actually Ford warranty that turned down the claim. I wasn't able to put forward any other cause but why should I have to? It was impossible to contact warranty dept direct you have to go thru Cust. Relations- basically a method to stop you talking to anyone with any power. Beware your Ford warranty. I'd be interested in other ideas.

No I won't go away.

[eyemdee]

Personally I don't believe Ford can hide behind its warranty conditions. Under law they have a duty to supply goods of merchantable quality and fit for purpose and an engine that requires replacement within its warranty period is neither. If you have complied with their service schedule and not abused or neglected the car then I believe the responsibility lies at their door. I would still like to hear Honest John's opinion.

[btmaldon]

You may find this of interest. A blown spark plug can only damage the thread I the head and a relatively cheapfix with a Helicoil kit would do the trick. As Clive says, this is most likely a symptom of a mechanical problem. Even then, who fitted and supplied the plugs? http://www.fordprobl...om-engine.shtml

[Stoney871]

Exactly, the only way a plug could cause that level of damage is if bits went into the cylinder which is a very very rare and unlikely occurrence, and even then I'd expect to see only a marked piston face and possibly damaged/scoured valves.
I still reckon the plug blowing was caused by an overpressure in the cylinder on the exhaust stroke (not on ignition phase unless the plug was very loose or threads were crossed) and that to me would be a symptom of bent or snapped valve stems or push rods possibly from not enough oil to the stem seals.
Ford are really pushing their luck on this one.
Pity you can't get your hands on the swapped parts so that another mechanic could have had a look.

[DieselPig]

Can you explain exactly how this happened?

Were you driving when this event occurred or did it appear in the garage?

How old is the car and where was it serviced, main dealer?

Did it happen after a service by any chance?

[wisewords]

Car is 2 and a half years old. Sold with remainder of manufac warranty just over a year ago. Serviced before purchase by selling garage main dealer(multi). It is driven by my son (no he is not a boy racer- he's 24 and a teacher). He noticed a loss of power and I told him to get it checked when he took it for a service. He does not recall a sudden loss of power. One communication from dealer states: you reported struggling at high gear, low speed and lacking acceleration.
On Inspection it was found to be caused by Number 4 spark plug failure. Number 4 spark plug ceramic had broken up inside the engine. All the spark plugs were replaced.
The Fiesta was booked in for diagnosis of the ticking noise on the 29.10.12 following the report from the service.
The engine has been stripped and examined. Number 4 cylinder bore is scored and to rectify this, a short block engine would be required.

They and we assumed it would be covered under warranty until we heard that Ford warranty had refused it. The ford warranty comes in two parts the Ford Base warranty (1st year) and then Ford Protect which is not so comprehensive- so beware that is their excuse. I had assumed at the time of purchase that we had the full manufacturers warranty.
Thanks for your interest and any help appreciated.

[DieselPig]

Interesting comment from the garage they changed all the plugs then sent you on your way to bring the vehicle back to investigate the ticking noise!

I would seek legal advice over this as it will be difficult to apportion blame.

Go here: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/ and use the Ask Honest John column to ask for advice, they have a good legal team who can help and represent you.

[pinkyandthebrain]

Another sorry story of spark plug failure to report.

I had my 09 Fiesta serviced at the end of January, MOT on March 23rd (all with Ford dealers plus FSH from before) and then, March 24th, the spark plug collapses.The only option the Ford garage is giving me is a new engine.

Two weeks down the line and I am still without a car (the Ford dealership have put in a claim to Ford but I'm being led round in circles getting invoices for services from before I even owned the car etc.) No courtesy car so I'm forking out for rental, Ford keep "reminding" me that the car is not in warranty and as of this morning have been told it will be yet another 48 hours before they get back to me.

What no-one seems to understand (there are 3 ford deals involved and Ford Customer Relationship Centre) is that from my perspective, this is a Ford problem. From where I' m sitting, a Ford mechanic fitted Ford approved plugs at a service less than a year before the problem. I don't see how they cannot stand behind that - someone is at fault (plug supplier, ford engine design, ford dealer/service department) but it certainly isn't me.